The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Channels Television, Mr. John Momoh has urged the Nigeria media to take pride in discharging its foremost role in nation building by taking the forefront of agenda setting.
He said this while delivering a keynote address; titled; ‘Mass Media; Setting The Nigerian Agenda’ at the 1st Distinguished Lecture Series, organised by the University of Lagos Mass Communication Alumni Association.
The event took place at the Afe Babalola auditorium within the school premises.
“Media attention can shape public opinion” Mr Momoh said.
He further noted that “Without media attention, policy needs generally have slim chances of garnering public endorsement, financial support or legislative action.
“So, if media attention is important, the question then is, by which mechanism does media attention gets distributed such that some stories get the five star treatment, while others receive a scant amount of front page coverage or in most cases, no coverage at all”, Mr Momoh asked.
At the lecture, which was well attended by members of the academia, several other speakers stressed the need for media practitioners to remain faithful to their roles as watch dogs in the society.
In their submissions, Professors Ralph Afinfeleye and Wale Omole noted that some media practitioners have abandoned their posts as watch dogs and have been infected with ‘rabies’.
